Mohammed Ali is a refugee living in Sector 4 of the Minawao camp, in the Mokolo health district. At the age of 53, he is married and father of 08 children, 04 of whom are under 05 years old.
For a long time, Mohammed lived according to the customs of his community, where the division of tasks is strictly tied to social gender norms. In this traditional view, men devote themselves exclusively to income‑generating activities, while household health, particularly malaria prevention, is seen as a purely female responsibility.
For Mohammed, participating in anti-natal care (ANC) or monitoring vaccinations was unthinkable. He even considered his wives’ requests to watch over sick children as a sign of disrespect.
The turning point came during a home visit organized by the civil society organization AJERED‑MT, an implementing partner of the Equité Accès Palu initiative in the Mokolo health district. During this exchange, the awareness team highlighted two decisive arguments:
- Financial impact: The high cost of treatments for a large family.
- Child mortality: Malaria remains the leading cause of death among children under 05 in Cameroon’s Far North.
This realization radically changed his perception: protecting his family from malaria is not a “woman’s task,” but a duty of protection for the head of household.
Today, Mohammed Ali is no longer a passive observer; he has become a key actor in behavior change within his sector. He actively mobilizes other household heads to convince them to get involved. Since then, he has effectively engaged in malaria control activities by:
- Participating in monitoring malaria cases within his household.
- Ensuring household sanitation and the systematic use of Long‑Lasting Insecticide‑treated Nets (LLINs).
- Taking part in the medical calendar by reminding his wives of routine vaccination dates for their children under five.
